It Matters to God

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Thursday, May 05, 2011

You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?
- Psalm 56:8

Jesus taught us to pray as follows: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread . . ." (Matthew 6:9–11). In this template for all prayer, Jesus is effectively saying, "When you pray, always acknowledge the greatness of God. Pray for the will of God, and pray for the provision of God."

So when we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," we are, in effect, acknowledging that everything we have comes from God.

This is what we need to remember: God can take care of our needs. Do you believe that God can take care of you, even when the odds are against it? Maybe you work very hard. Maybe you save your money and invest wisely and have done well for yourself. And you say, "Well, I know it has come from God, but I played a part in it." No, it all came from God. The ability to think clearly came from God. The beat of your heart came from God. The blood coursing through your veins came from God. Everything you have is from the Lord, including the clothes you are wearing, the car you drive, the home you live in, and the spiritual gifts and talents you have. They are all from the Lord.

So when we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," we are acknowledging that everything we have has come from God. And we are also saying that everything we need in the future still will come from God.

If it matters to you, it matters to God. If it troubles you, it is a concern to God. So bring it to Him. He is interested in detail.